Love Hina: A Waking Dream
by Chaos Poet
Summary: I am sorry for such a long wait. The plot is still the same as before, I'm just 100% happy with the way things are turning out this time. Hope you enjoy. Drop me a review when you finish please!
1. Korn: Falling Away From Me

Authors Note: This is the revamped version of A Waking Dream. I hope that the wait wasn't too bad. I'm now one hundred percent happy with the way this chapter turned out. I hope that you all enjoy this. Please review. If you want to flame me, ok just tell me what can make this story better. Oh, by the way. The titles of the chapters have nothing to do with the actual chapter. It's just the name of the song I listened to while I wrote.

Special thanks: Thank you, Storyreader16 for beta reading this yarn. I know it must have been a painful experience, so I am truly indebted to you. Seriously people, if you liked this at all, give it up for him. It wouldn't have turned out half as well without his advice.

Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina. It never has and never will be mine so stop rubbing it in ya wankers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Waking Dream: Falling Away From Me

The incessant pattering of the rain filled Konno Mitsune's room. Grumbling about never wanting to drink another drop of liquor for the rest of her life, she groggily sat up and stifled a yawn. Blinking, she opened her normally closed eyes, trying to see the kind of morning she had awakend to.

It was cold and rainy, the tears of the heavens pelted against her window, making an ungodly racquet in her opinion. The brown haired woman flung the sheet that was draped over her to the side and stood up, stretching her arms, and letting out a stifled yawn. "What's for breakfast," she mused aloud. The floorboards underneath her feet creaked, making her mentally curse herself for staying out so late to drink. "Wonder how Keitaro feels," she mused aloud with a small chuckle.

The night before, the manager had returned from a mock exam, actually doing better than Naru. In what she called an innocent congratulatory gesture, she invited Keitaro to go out drinking with her. He was reluctant to agree but at nine o'clock that night, he was walking down the moonlit street chatting with Kitsune.

"So do you think that you'll get in this time," she had asked him.

Taken aback by the suddenness of her question, though he had been expecting something of the sort, Keitaro laughed. "Yeah, I do. I mean, with Naru and Mutsumi's help, how can I fail again?"

She nodded her agreement and beamed up at him. The two made their way to the train station and talked about unimportant things on their ride to Tokyo. When they finally arrived in the city, they walked to a crowded nightclub.

Once they were inside, they were immediately assaulted by a hypnotic wave of music, the bass pounding in their ears, deafening them temporarily. Not wanting to make a fool of himself, Keitaro made his way to the bar and ordered a scotch. Nursing his drink, the bespectacled man watched Kitsune make her way through the throngs of people on the dance floor.

His eyes ran over her body, mesmerized by her fluid like movements. Keitaro's cheeks were painted a dark red when she gyrated her hips so that she was facing him. His friend flashed him a smile and motioned for him to join her. Blanching at the thought of dancing in the middle of a packed dance floor, he held up his glass in response.

She sighed and made her way over to him. When she got to the bar, she ordered a martini, and glanced at the Tokyo-U hopeful. "You do know that we're to have some fun, right," she asked, taking a drought from her glass and asking for another. Seeing him nod, she grabbed his arm. "Then come on. Let's go out there and dance the night away," she implored, gazing at him with pleading eyes. The lights flashing lights above them caused her eyes to appear to be made of every color in the rainbow, two beautiful rainbows.

He gulped and nodded, allowing Kitsune to lead him into the horde of people, all swaying and whirling to the call of the music. She pressed her back against Keitaro and began moving in time with the music, rubbing against him occasionally.

The raven-haired man was already nervous enough; he didn't need Kitsune dancing on him to make it worse. He started dancing, albeit clumsy and awkward, but growing some in confidence. He ran his hands up and down her sides, trying to mimic the movements of the other men around him. They danced for a long time, staying close to one another only parting when they made their way back to the bar.

"You know you're not that bad a dancer Keitaro. You only stepped on my feet three times. That's a whole lot less than I expected," she told him after she drained four shots of vodka. He beamed some and took a swig of his beer. "Hey, why don't we go and find a place to sit down. All this dancing's killin' my legs," she told him, gesturing to an empty booth nearby.

He nodded and grabbed their drinks, following her over to a shaded area of the club. Once they were seated, she turned her gaze to the man across from her. She didn't know when but, at some point in their friendship, she had grown to love him as more than a close friend.

Had anybody told her when she first met him that she would wind up loving him, she would have laughed in their face at the absurdity of their remark. He was scrawny, funny looking, and just plain weird. Not like any of the men she had ever been interested in.

She had always found herself comparing these men to something; never happy with whom she was with. Everyone one of them was lacking something. This was one to grabby. That one was too lecherous. That other one was too rude. He was inconsiderate. It wasn't until much later that she realized she was comparing those men to the kindly manager that had wormed his way into her life and heart.

Now, however, she had to act like she did when Naru had loved Seta. Caring more about her friend than she did herself, Kitsune held Keitaro's heart only in her dreams. She knew that if she went after him, she could and would have him. It would take some time to win him over because his heart was set on Naru, but her constant stream of violence would be what worked in Kitsune's favor.

"Kitsune, you ok," Keitaro asked, breaking her from her reverie.

She smiled and nodded at him, alleviating some of his worry. They sat in the both for a few more moments, letting the drinks set in and the weariness leave their bodies. "You wanna go back out there," she asked, pointing at the dance floor.

Keitaro merely nodded and stood up, staggering somewhat from the effects of the alcohol. They danced and danced for the remainder of the night, never once breaking apart.

Later, when the life started to dwindle down in the club, the two went to another bar Kitsune knew of. She was immediately hailed by the barkeep, a short, stocky man with a kind looking face.

"This is one of my favorite places. It's not very well known, but the people are great," she told Keitaro, grinning at him. "The owner's name is Takeru, which also happens to be the name of this little establishment."

After giving Keitaro a brief explanation of her history with the place, Kitsune ordered them their drinks and found them a booth to sit at. They talked aimlessly about anything and everything. Keitaro was just starting to feel the affects of the Bourbon he ordered by the time Kitsune felt it safe to broach his feelings for Naru.

"So, we all know that you love Naru," she said making him choke on his drink some. Once the coughing subsided, she continued. "_Why_ do you love her," she asked with a curious look in her eyes.

He coughed to clear his throat and looked at her bashfully. "I…I love her because of the side she doesn't show many people. You know what one I'm talking about," he said, making her nod. He smiled softly and sighed. "I know that she's distrustful of me, but I've seen her soft side and, to me, it's enough to make me love her."

The woman frowned and a grumbled under her breath. "So you mean to tell me that you'll take all of the crap she gives you just because of that rare sweet side," asked Kitsune. "That makes perfect sense Keitaro. Treat her like fuckin' royalty while she pummels you," she exclaimed, her voice laden with sarcasm.

She huffed and slouched in her seat, ignoring the stares of the other patrons. "Takeru, gimmie another bottle of Sake," she called out. Taking a long draught from the bottle, she mulled over her thoughts, letting her emotions have a little free time in her head. She was annoyed with Keitaro for being so soft. She was pissed at Naru for treating him like she did. She was angry with herself for not doing anything to stop her from hurting him. She must have let some of her feelings leak onto her mask of apathy when the manager gazed at her with concern. She shook her head and waved her hand when he made a move to speak.

"Save it Keitaro. Just save it," she snapped, turning her attention to the wall, fuming silently.

The manager clamped his mouth shut and studied the woman in front of him. _Why's she acting like this_, he ruminated. He didn't think his answers would make her mad. On the contrary, he thought that they would make her happy. He just said that he loved Naru; even all the things she had said and done hadn't changed that. _Why's she so mad?_

Kitsune sighed and looked at the table. Her face was slightly red and he could tell that the alcohol was affecting her. The woman took another swig of beer and put her glass down before turning her gaze to the befuddled man. "Look I'm sorry. I didn't mean to blow up like that. It's just, she treats you so bad and you don't seem to mind in the least.

"You're so blinded by her that you don't ever appear to notice other people. Everyone else at the dorms loves you, you know? Even Motoko does, in her own odd way. I know that any one of us would give an arm and a leg for you to love one of us the same way you do Naru," she slurred.

"Gah, zabhutas. Ehbadoi. Motoko fugrah slasha. Everyone" was his response, a favorite of his when confronted by any form of information that too much for his brain to register at the moment. He continued to stammer incoherently, much to the amusement of the other bar-goers.

Giggling, Kitsune watched as Keitaro tried to form words. She calmly sipped on her Sake again and allowed a smile to adorn her face. She stood up and excused herself so that she could use the restroom, staggering slightly, and leaving the landlord to mull over her words.

Once she returned she saw him looking out the window, his expression akin to that of a philosopher contemplating their place in the universe. The lights from outside danced over his face giving him a more mysterious look. She blushed when he turned his gaze towards her and offered a shy smile.

"Sorry if I didn't answer like I should have," he said once she was seated in front of him. Kitsune nodded slightly, wondering what brought about his change of heart. "It just shocked me when you told me that everybody at the Hinata house is practically in love with me. I mean, how could any of you guys love a pathetic guy like me? You all are perfect and I'm…..I'm just," he said, unable to find a derogatory term to describe himself.

He stared at the floor and sighed. Why_ do they love me_, he mused. His thoughts ran rampant and he continually stained his own ego when he thought of reasons that they might. He jerked his head up when he felt Kitsune's hand on his own. The raven-haired man stared into her warm brown eyes, searching for signs that she was angry. He saw no rage, but he did see some pain.

"Why do you do that Keitaro," she asked him.

"What?"

She sighed and put her hand on his cheek. "Why do you always talk badly about yourself? You're not a bad person. Hell, you ain't got a mean bone in your body for cryin' out loud. So why do you always have to talk bad about yourself for no reason," she implored.

"Because what I say is true. I am pathetic Kitsune. You know I am. How could I not be piteous after failing to get into Tokyo-U for three years straight, landing any guys dream job and still screwing up at it, and to top it all off, I can't even seem to get the girl I love to see me as anything but a friend," he exclaimed with surprising vehemence, brushing aside her hand.

Kitsune let him calm down before speaking. "You know, not all of us see you like that. You wanna know what I see," asked. He nodded and looked at her, curiosity taking dominance in his eyes.

"I see a hard working and determined man. Sure you may not have achieved what you set out for in the beginning, but you never let that stop you. You've always kept your head high and eyes forward. You won't stop trying to win over Naru; even after all she does to you. Sure you may be clumsy and peep on us occasionally. Oh stop looking like that. Every time we catch can't be an accident," she said when he started to protest.

"You're a one in a million guy Keitaro. You're kind and considerate. You never do anything that'll hurt us. You do everything in your power to make sure we're happy. You know who should be calling themselves pathetic," she asked. The bemused man slowly shook his head.

"Me, Naru, and Motoko," she told him.

The bespectacled man was about to protest when Kitsune placed a finger to her lips and smiled. The two sat in silence, drinking and getting lost in their thoughts. At about two o'clock in the morning Takeru told them that he was closing up and ushered the pair out.

Staggering because of the alcohol and because Kitsune was leaning against him, Keitaro walked down the road, hoping that he was going the right direction. Still lucid enough to have some rational thought he made his way back to the bar. Once he got the barkeeps attention he asked for directions to a nearby hotel so that they could sleep off their alcohol induced states.

When he walked in, he blanched when he saw that only one room was available. _We can't go home like this. I guess I'll just sleep in the tub_, he thought, already dreading the crick that he would get in his neck. Once he had paid for their room at the kiosk, he stumbled into the bathroom, trying to get some of the rainwater out of his hair. He silently cheered when he walked out and saw that there were two beds in the room. He sighed and walked out of the room and lay down on his bed. He glanced over at Kitsune, who lay on the other bed, and saw that she was watching him, her eyes actually open.

"Everything ok," he slurred. Even drunk he still held his tenants' needs above his own.

She shook her head and motioned for him to come over to her. Once he had got to her side, she patted the spot on the bed beside her and pulled him down to sit. She grinned lopsidedly and ran her hand up his thigh. "You know what Keitaro," she purred, making the man shake.

He gulped and looked at her. "W-what," he asked, his voice shacking somewhat. What she was planning, he had no idea. He did know, he noticed, that he rather liked the close proximity of their bodies.

She nuzzled into his neck and pressed a feather light kiss to it before nipping him slightly. She giggled when he yelped and shot his hand up to the spot she had just bit. "You look pretty cute when you're drenched," she said.

Without warning, she swung her right leg across his waist and pulled herself into his lap. She pressed herself flush against him and pressed her lips to his, making him fall back. He hit his head on the headboard and groaned in pain. Taking his sound of pain as a sound of pleasure, Kitsune delved her tongue into his mouth.

Finally getting his bearings back, Keitaro grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back. "What the hell are you doing," he nearly shouted. Kitsune was kissing him; with tongue, the back of his mind informed him. Sure she flirted with him constantly, but she'd never done anything like this.

"I was kissing you," she said, trying to break free from his grip to resume her early activities. She didn't know why he reacted like that. She knew for a fact that he thought she was good looking, so why did it matter that she kissed him. "Am I ugly," she asked. Even if she was drunk, she lived up to her nickname, plotting something that would get him to release arms.

"What? NO," he said, waving his arms in front of him, shocked she would think that.

_Hook, line, and sinker_, she thought when he let go of her arms. She grabbed his wrists and held them high above his head. She smirked at him before lowering her face and capturing his lips again.

His muffled attempts at making her stop fell on deaf ears as she continued the languid kiss. When she finally pulled back, her face was flushed because of something other than the alcohol.

"Kitsune we need to stop, ok," pleaded Keitaro.

"You sure you want that," asked Kitsune coyly, eyeing the bulge that had formed in his pants.

_No not really_, he thought. "Yes." _ Traitor!_

"Why," she asked, a knowing smile on her face. If she was right, and she usually was, Keitaro was just doing what he thought was best. _To bad Keitaro_, she mused.

Gulping, Keitaro looked at Kitsune. "Because, you wouldn't be acting like this if we weren't drunk," he said. He quailed in fear when he saw Kitsune glaring at him with her eyes completely open. That was never a good sign.

"So you think I'm like this because I've had to much to drink. You think I'd do this to anybody," she snarled. She knew that wasn't what he meant, but it would be fun to tease him some. She fought back a smile when he paled and started stammering apologies.

"Kei, it's ok. I know you didn't mean it. But really, I may be drunk, but I'm doing this because I want to. I'm tired of holding back around you. I know you love Naru, but do remember when I told you we all love you? That meant me too," she said softly, leaning in and giving him a kiss on the cheek. She kissed him again, moving closer to his lips. She softly pressed herself against him and felt him stiffen, but otherwise he did nothing. She let go of his hands and cupped his face, making him look her directly in they eyes.

"The only left to know now is, do you want to," she asked, kissing him again.

Keitaro was caught between a rock and a hard place. He desperately wanted to do this, but he loved Naru. The affects of the liquor would normally have never cumbered his judgment. The constant abuse he got everyday at the Hinata-sou would have never pushed into sleeping with Kitsune by itself. Even having a willing woman on top of him practically asking him to sleep with her never would have made him do it.

However, all of these things pilled on top of him were enough to break his resolve. When she kissed him again, he responded, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her head closer to his.

Kitsune blanched as she recalled the previous night. She glanced around and noted that she wasn't in her room. She was standing in a traditionally furnished Japanese room. The woman quickly looked to where she had just been sleeping and saw the soft rising and falling of somebody's side.

With trembling hands she moved the sheets to reveal the slumbering, and nude, form of Keitaro. It was then that she took note of her own state of undress and the scent that hung in the air.

_What did we do_, she thought, already having the answer. She sighed and sank to her feet, looking at the room and seeing their clothes haphazardly thrown everywhere. _Naru's gonna be pissed. Keitaro'll be lucky enough to escape with his life this time_, she ruminated. She stood up and walked around the room, picking up her clothes and slipping into them. She debated whether or not she should leave but decided against it in the end. She wasn't about to leave Keitaro alone to deal with this.

Once she was completely dressed, she sat by the window and stared into the sky, taking some solace from the rain. She turned and looked at Keitaro when she heard him stir.

"Mmph, no Naru," he murmured in his sleep. He slowly opened his dark brown eyes and gazed about the room. He grabbed his glasses that lay by his side and slipped them on his face. "This isn't my room and why am I naked. Oh hey Kitsune," he said, still in that daze that comes before wakefulness. His eyes snapped open fully when he registered what he had just said.

"Kitsune, why are we together in…in…in this room. And why am I naked," he asked, pulling the sheets around his waist. He detachedly noticed a scent in the air he had never come across before but knew what it was on a primal level.

The woman let out a breath and walked over to the man. "It would appear that our innocent old manager ain't innocent anymore," she said, allowing the smallest of smiles to wash over her face. She handed him his clothes, which she had gathered and folded.

He numbly accepted them after mumbling his thanks, accepting them and walking to the bathroom to change. He ran some cold water from the sink and splashed it over his face and looked into the mirror. _Did we really_, he ruminated. He hung his head and gazed at his feet; he didn't need to be a rocket scientist to figure out where the stains on the sheets came from. "I really fucked up this time," he mumbled.

The manager made his way back into the room to find Kitsune seated on a fluffy cushion. She wasn't smiling, but she didn't look angry he noted. He took a seat in front of her and looked at her while she studied the floor. He couldn't think of anything to say. Hello would just be too awkward. He couldn't say thank you for letting me sleep with you. He wasn't about to make her feel cheap.

"So about last night," he said, opting to go with the most clichéd of phrases to break the deafening silence that surrounded them.

"I'm sorry," they both said at the same time.

"Sorry? What are you sorry for," asked Kitsune incredulously, her head shooting up. She was the one that should be sorry. She was the one that had kissed him first. She made the first move. If she hadn't of done anything at all, they wouldn't be having this discussion in the first place.

"I was going to ask you the same thing," he said. He had no idea why she was apologizing but he knew that he was sorry. He had forced himself on her and now, to make matters worse, she blamed herself.

"Look, Keitaro. We both messed up okay," said Kitsune, trying to stop either of them from playing the blame game. "We slept with each other, even if we were drunk it was something we both did. And if memory serves correct, you were actually pretty good at _it_," she said, making him blush slightly, and reminding him why she was called 'Kitsune'.

She chuckled softly and watched Keitaro try and regulate his breathing. Once he looked calm again, she continued in a more serious tone. "What are we gonna do about the others," she asked.

He sighed and shook his head. "Don't know. I know I'm not to keen on telling them. Not only would I be put into orbit, but it's none of their business," he said. His personal life was something that he didn't put out on display for the other residents, that's why it was called his _personal_ life.

Smiling, Kitsune nodded. "We'd best keep it a secret I guess. What's the story then? Why didn't we come home last night," she asked.

A thoughtful look falling over his features, Keitaro fell into silence. He tapped his fingers to his chin and smiled slightly when he thought of something. "We tell them the truth, so to speak. We were to drunk to come home so we slept it off in a hotel. Of course we got separate rooms, that way they won't suspect anything, right," he asked, obliviously proud of the way he was able to come up with a lie on the spot.

Smiling and nodding, Kitsune stood up and walked over to the bathroom. "I must be rubbing off on you Keitaro. I need to use this but after that, what do you say we leave," she asked.

"Sure. I've got no problem with that," he said, standing up and walking over to the door. Once Kitsune left the room, the two of them walked out of the hotel, pausing long enough for Keitaro to return the keycard. They made their way to the train station, content to let the silence hang onto them.

Once they were seated on the train, they went over their story again, trying to make it as convincing as possible. The rest of the ride passed in silence. A silence only broken by the rattling of the train on the tracks.

Keitaro's thoughts flitted back and forth from Naru to Kitsune. He thought of his study partner and romantic interest with a sense of guilt. He knew, deep down that, what he and Kitsune had done was a betrayal of some sort. Sure they may not have been together, but he was in love with Naru and he slept with her best friend. _Way to show you really love her_, he thought.

Kitsune, on the other hand, he felt guilty about sleeping with her for different reasons. He had always felt a connection with the conniving woman, but now he didn't know what to expect. Would she want a relationship because of that one night, he mused as if the previous night were already a distant memory. _No. I don't think she will, but what if she does_, he ruminated.

He sighed and put his head in his hands, mumbling about this being harder than any of the entrance exams put together. Kitsune shot him a quizzical look, but soon returned to her thoughts.

When they got back home they quickly went to the kitchen, knowing that everybody would be arriving at the table around this time. The smell of bacon being fried greeted the two of them as they sat down. Nobody was with them and they looked at each other curiously.

"So just where were you two last night," rang out Naru's voice. She had somehow materialized behind them and her expression was anything but welcoming.

Keitaro turned white with fear in fear and started stammering inarticulately. Kitsune shot Naru a smile and sighed. "We both got pretty hammered last night. Couldn't make it home so we checked into a hotel. Oh don't look like that, we got separate rooms," she said, laughing.

Naru reluctantly accepted her best friends answer and sat down beside Keitaro, buttering some toast. With that, things went back to normal. Nobody suspected a thing. On the outside, it was as if nothing happened between the landlord and the resident trickster.

On the inside it was a whole other ballgame. Keitaro was wracked with fear that someone would eventually find out about his night with Kitsune. He shuddered in terror at what Naru and Motoko would do to him. He felt guilty at having slept with Naru's best friend, but he couldn't take it back, and a small part of his mind wanted to repeat their actions.

He thought of Kitsune often, wondering if she thought of the night as much as he did. He blushed when he remembered looking at himself in the mirror after he felt a slight pain on his back. Rows of scratches ran across his shoulders. He even found a small bite mark on his throat; thankfully his hair covered it when he encountered the other residents. He knew that all hell would break loose if someone found out about it.

The days turned to weeks and the weeks faded into a month. Everything was running along swimmingly, until heavy footfalls echoed out from Kitsune's room. Being closest to her, Keitaro peeked his head out of his door and caught a glimpse of Kitsune running to the bathroom. He cringed when he heard the sounds of retching and something splattering.

_I hope she's not getting sick_, he thought, concerned for his friend. He pulled his head back into his room and sighed. _No use trying to go back to bed now_, he thought, looking at the clock, seeing that it was almost time to get down for breakfast. He pulled on a black tee shirt and a pair of black jeans before walking down the stairs and sitting at the table.

He was just starting to pour a cup of coffee for himself when Kitsune walked in, a haggard look on her face. Without speaking or looking at Keitaro she grabbed his mug of steaming coffee and took a gulp of the bitter liquid.

"Um…you feelin' ok Kitsune," asked Keitaro, laughing nervously. _I wanted that coffee_, he thought dejectedly.

Sighing, Kitsune gazed down at the manager and sat down beside him. She ran her fingers through her hair and opened her eyes some. "I don't know, just woke up feeling like I was gonna puke worse than I do when I get plastered," she mumbled, letting her head fall into her arms. She groaned and mumbled something inaudible.

"Hiyas Keitaro," cried out Su as she bounded into the room. "Wow Kitsune, you don't look so good. You ok," she asked in her ever-present cheerful manner.

Shrugging and yawning, Kitsune didn't lift her head from its makeshift pillow. The smell of bacon lured her from her position, making her look up with a hungry expression on her face. "My god Shinobu, you never fail to amaze me," she said after taking a bite out of one the tender strips of meat,

The young chef blushed and mumbled a thank you before getting the rest of the food on the table. "Time for breakfast everybody," she called after running into the foyer. Once everyone was seated the motley family went about devouring Shinobu's food with gusto.

When the food was gone, Keitaro and Naru went to study. Motoko went to the roof to practice her kata's. Su and Sarah ran off to explore the tunnels that crisscrossed under the house. Shinobu went to the kitchen and began loading things into the dishwasher, a recent addition to the house. Kitsune sighed and went to the living room, flopping down onto the couch and cutting on the television.

She watched the horse race absentmindedly. Something was bugging her. It was in the back of mind but it was still there. It was like an itch that wouldn't go away and she had no idea how she was supposed to scratch it. She took out a pack of cigarettes, a recently acquired habit, and lit one up, taking a deep pull on the cancer stick.

She exhaled a plume of smoke and stood up, walking over to the vestibule. She looked out the door; the leaves of the trees blew to and fro. She sighed and walked to the door, grabbing her jacket off the coat rack before stepping outside.

She walked down the colossal set of steps of the dorms, her thoughts on the manager. She turned down the street when she reached the bottom and let her feet run on autopilot. She had thought of Keitaro a lot ever since the two of them had slept with each other. She wondered if he thought of her like she thought of him. Did he hold that night in a special place in his heart as she did? Were his feelings towards her different because of that one night stand?

_Who'da thought that this would be so complicated_, she ruminated. She looked up and found herself nearing the steps of the dorms again and decided that she would head back, wanting to soak in the hot spring.

Once she was in her room, she grabbed her bathing supplies and a fresh change of clothes before glancing at her desk. Her stuff clattered to the floor when she saw the date. She had been so wrapped up in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed something very important.

"I'm late," she whispered. Not wanting to believe what she just said, Kitsune picked the small calendar up and looked at it, willing the date to change. Nothing happened. She stared in disbelief at the paper and sank to the floor. It was then that she remembered they hadn't used protection and she hadn't been taking her pills.

_Get a hold of yourself girl_, she thought. _You could just be late. Even if you did puke your guts up this morning_, she thought, moaning in despair. What did she do to deserve this? She wasn't a bad person, at least that's what she told herself. On shaking legs she stood up and slowly walked back out the house. This time, instead of walking aimlessly, she walked to a nearby convenient store and purchased a handful of pregnancy tests.

Back in her room after taking all of them, she sat on her futon with her head in her hands. _I should probably get an official one too. I know that even if some of them told me I wasn't, I still could be_, she thought. _What am I gonna say to him_, she mused, thinking of Keitaro. She couldn't just walk in on him and Naru while they were studying and say, "Keitaro I think I'm having your baby."

No, she'd have to be subtle when she told him, lest she kill him with shock. She sighed and got up, walking down the stairs to go see Haruka and ask for a ride into town. She was defiantly going to get a real test and find out for sure.

"Kitsune," cried an overexcited Su.

The brown haired woman looked up at the young foreigner and forced a smile to her face. "Whatch'yall need," she asked Su and Sarah.

"I don't need anything, just wondering where you were going," she asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet. She knew that if Kitsune was going somewhere it would be fun. Anything that the older woman was involved in was fun actually.

Kitsune frowned and sighed. "Sorry kiddo, you can't come with me. I have some very important business to take care of and it's not something that children should be exposed to," she said in her rarely used mature voice.

Her smile faltering for the briefest of seconds, Su turned around and ran. "Okies then. We'll have to play later," she called over her shoulder, Sarah running behind her. _Well we can't play with Kitsune. I wonder what Motoko's doing_, she thought.

Letting out a breath, Kitsune continued her way down the stairs. Once she was at the teashop she asked Haruka for a ride into town.

"Why," asked the older Urashima.

Never being able to tell a convincing lie to Haruka, Kitsune told her the truth. "I need to get tested to see if I'm pregnant," she said quietly. She was expecting Haruka to scold her or lecture her, they were after all like mother and daughter.

"Alright. Gimmie a sec to close up and we'll be on our way," she said, her expression unreadable.

Kitsune watched as the older woman went around the shop telling the customers that she would be shutting down early. After a few minutes the shop was empty save for Haruka and the young writer.

"Come on," said Haruka, motioning for Kitsune to follow her out the door.

The drive to the clinic was silent, broken only by the muffled sounds of life outside the car. Once they arrived, Kitsune took a deep shuddering breath before climbing out. The two women walked to the check in counter, a heavy silence hanging between them.'

"Hello, do you have an appointment or would you like to make one," asked a cheery sounding woman of about thirty. Her soft brown eyes twinkled with kindness and she brushed back a stray black strand of hair.

"Um, no I don't have an appointment, but I'd like to make one," said Kitsune, laughing nervously.

"Okay dear, what's your name? And may I see your insurance card," she asked.

"Konno Mitsune," said Kitsune, handing the woman the small card.

"Okay, and what are you here for," she asked politely. The woman already had a good guess why though. An attractive young woman coming to a clinic for testing and worried look on her face. It was one of two things, and she prayed it wasn't what she thought it was.

"I need to be tested to see if I'm pregnant," she said.

"Alright. I'll call you when the doctor's ready to see you," said the secretary.

Kitsune nodded her thanks and walked with Haruka to the waiting room. She looked at the covers of the magazines sitting on the table beside her. _Why is that every place like this has magazines that were new when my grandparents were my age_, she thought. After what felt like an eternity she herd her name.

"Mitsune. Konno Mitsune. The doctor will see you now," called out the kindly secretary.

The ringing of a telephone emanated from the living room of the Hinata-sou. An anxious woman with light brown hair walked over to pick up the noisy mechanism. Ever since her visit to the clinic, Kitsune had been weary of any and all phone calls. Every time she heard the ringing of the phone, she would swallow her fear until the call was over.

"Hello," she asked. "Yes this her. So the results are in," she whispered, a worried look passing over her face. "Okay then, thank you," she said before hanging up. She rubbed her eyes with her thumb and forefinger, trying in vain to alleviate some of the pressure built up there. Sighing, she turned and walked towards Haruka's teashop.

Once inside, she found the older woman smoking a cigarette and reading a paper. She glanced up at Kitsune and motioned for her to join her. She took a deep pull on her smoke and let out a plume of smoke. "You got the results," she said, still looking at the paper. The way she had said it was more like a statement of fact rather than a question.

"Yeah, I did," breathed Kitsune.

The two women remained silent for a spell, the gentle murmurings of the patrons swirling around them. Kitsune sighed and looked up at the ceiling. _What am I gonna do_, she mused.

As if interpreting her thoughts, Haruka sat the paper aside and looked at Kitsune. "Well it's pretty obvious what you got back. What are you going to do now?"

The younger woman shook her head and let out a breath. "I don't know. I mean, what can I do," she asked. She had always had appeared to know just what to do in every situation, but now she let that mask fall away as she tried to face reality. _Life's falling away from me_, mused Kitsune, thinking back to an American heavy metal song she liked. Normally she wouldn't listen to that kind of music, but something about the song made her listen.

"I think you should tell him," interjected Haruka, snapping Kitsune from her musings.

"What," she asked.

"Tell him what the doctors said," Haruka replied calmly. She took another drag on her cigarette and set it in a nearby ashtray. "He deserves to know," she said, blowing out a cloud of smoke.

"I know I should, but I don't want to do anything that'll hinder him from going after his dreams. And 'sides, he loves Naru. I'm just the one night stand girl," she mumbled bitterly.

"Tell me, how do you feel bout all this," said Haruka, breaking off onto another line of thought.

Blinking, Kitsune sat back and closed her eyes. "Well I guess you could say I'm excited. I guess it's safe to assume you know about my feelings for Keitaro," she said, making the other woman nod. "I do love him, but I don't want to come between him and Naru. They both mean the world to me and I don't want to jeopardize the friendship I share with them. I would love to be with him, but I don't stand a chance," she mumbled, hanging her head.

"Well, you'll never really know if you stand a chance until you try. I'm not saying to go and put your friendship on the line, I'm just saying that you shouldn't talk as if you know the future. If I were in your shoes, I would tell him and let him decide what he's going to do about it," she said. She picked up a cup of tea and took a small sip before continuing. "If he wants to be there in the future let him."

After that, the conversation drifted to various topics. After about an hour Kitsune left to peruse the kanrinin. She made her way up the stairs that led to his room, taking two at a time. Once she was standing outside his door, she took a deep breath and knocked softly.

Shuffling could be heard and then footfalls as Keitaro made his way to the door. Opening it a crack he smiled when he saw Kitsune standing outside. "Yes?"

"Can...can I come in," she asked. She walked in and kept her back to him after he opened the door wider. This was stranger for her. Usually she wouldn't wait for an answer, hell she wouldn't even knock most times. Something was up. Either she was up to something or there was a problem. _It must be bad_, he thought, remembering the look on her face when he opened his door.

"Take a seat," he said, offering her motioning to the chair at his desk. She shook her head but kept her back to him. "Kitsune...is everything okay," he asked gently.

She sighed and turned to look at him. "Keitaro, how do you feel about me," she asked bluntly.

He face faulted, but after getting back to his feet he shot her a questioning stare. "What's all this about," he implored.

"Just answer the question," she asked, opening her eyes, which held a pleading look.

Nodding slowly, he leaned against his wall. "Well, you're a great person. Sure you may tease me, but I know that you don't mean any harm by it. You're smart, funny, beautiful, and extremely kind," he said.

Kitsune remained unreadable. Keitaro stayed silent, feeling like he was being judged. _What did she ask me that for_, he ruminated.

"Keitaro, do you remember that night a month ago," she asked softly.

Blushing, he nodded. How could he forget? It was the night he finally lost his virginity, he wasn't about to forget _that_. "Yes I remember," he said. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I just wanted to make sure you did. I've got somebody I'd like to introduce you too," she said.

"Okay. Where are they," he asked slightly confused. Why would she bring up _that_ night if she wanted him to meet someone.

Giggling, Kitsune grabbed his hand. "Close your eyes," she whipsered.

His confusion only growing, Keitaro obliged and shut his eyes. He felt Kitsune grab his arm and lead him around. It was a bit awkward walking around blind, but he trusted that she wasn't going to take him anywhere bad. "Don't peek," she told him before stopping. He felt his hand on something and suppressed the urge to open his eyes.

"Okay, you can look now Keitaro," said Kitsune.

When he opened his eyes he saw that they were back in his room. When he glanced at where his hand was he saw it resting on Kitsune's stomach. "Umm, Kitsune, where's the person you wanted me to meet," he asked, leaving his hand on her belly.

"Right here," she said. His confusion must have been evident, for she gestured at her hand.

"Oh, I've already met you Kitsune," he said, still not getting it.

Growling slightly, she forced a smile to her face. "What I'm trying to say is…I'm pregnant."

"You're....p-p-preg," was all Keitaro could get out before he fell to floor and blacked out.

Authors Note: That's it for chapter one. It is now two o'clock in the morning and I'm freezing my arse off. I'm going to bed. I'll have the second chapter up as soon as I can. I might not be able to have it up here as quickly as you all would like because I'm in the midst of moving right now. I will post it soon, as soon as I can get online that is. Well, please review. I know that many authors say this, but they really do help speed up the writing process. Knowing that people are liking my stories and having some feedback only makes me want to work harder. If you want to flame me, go ahead. Just keep in mind, if you do flame, tell me how to make this better. This is Chaos Poet, signing out.


	2. Mamas and Papas: California Dreaming

Authors Note: Hello again my dear readers. I'm here to present the second instilment of 'Love Hina: A Waking Dream.' I hope that you enjoy this chapter because I put a lot of heart into it. I know that wait has been long, but I will have more as soon as I can. To everyone that has left a comment, thank you for your kind words. I really do appreciate them. Oh, before I forget, I'd like to take this time to clear a few things up that I've received e-mails about. When Shinobu cooked the bacon for everyone's breakfast, I know most people have theirs crispy. I only said it was tender because that's how I like my bacon cooked. Also, my dad has no teeth and it's easier for him to eat it like that. I know that I dropped the p-bomb early, but I'm going to build from that, just wait. Also, I'm going to start making the chapter titles the band as well as the song name I listened to while writing. The first one was Korn, 'Falling Away From Me.'

Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina. If I did, Tsuruko, Mutsumi, Motoko, and Amalla would be real and they would be all mine!!!!!^^ *laughs evilly*

Mammas and Papas: California Dreaming

The soft, pale glow of the setting sun painted the Hinata house in its ethereal beauty. The birds chirped the last song of the day before the crickets came onto the stage to play their concerto. The drone of city life melded with the beautiful symphony created by nature.

The exquisiteness of the sounds outside, however, was lost on Keitaro. He sat with his back against the wall of his bedroom, his head resting in his hands. Even though he had just regained consciousness he already had a migraine. Sighing, he rubbed his index finger and thumb against his forehead, trying to alleviate the pressure that had built up behind it.

_God, I would kill for some aspirin right about now,_ he thought.

He ran his other hand through his dark hair absentmindedly, his thoughts flitting back and forth from subject to subject, never leaving him with any peace. Kitsune's words rang in his head repeatedly, along with the image of her face when she said to him the words that would forever change his life and, by consequence, the lives of the rest of Hinata-sou's inhabitants.

_So, I'm going to be a dad, huh? Never thought I'd be able to claim that,_ he thought. _I wonder what Kitsune's thinking?_ He turned his gaze to the woman sitting across from him.

The woman stared back; her eyes fully open yet unreadable. It seemed as if she was staring right through Keitaro, lost in her own ruminations. The only thing she let slip past her impassive mask was a slight frown tugging at the corners of her mouth.

_What's he thinking,_ Kitsune wondered. She may have been all smiles and giggles telling him, but now that he knew, it was different. She, for one of the few times in her life, didn't know what to do. One thing she was sure of though was that she needed to hear Keitaro's thoughts before she made any decision about this…development.

"Keitaro," she all but whispered. "What do you think we should do," she asked, her eyes focused on his, holding an almost pleading look.

Gulping, the man scratched the back of his neck and looked at Kitsune. "I'm not sure," said Keitaro. "I'd like to think I had an answer to something like this, but I've never had to deal with a situation like this one before," he told her. Keitaro's head slumped and he looked down at his feet. "What do you think we should do about…you know," he asked, mumbling.

Shrugging, Kitsune sighed. "I really wish I knew. I feel like kicking myself for not taking those damn pills like I was supposed too," she said bitterly. The brunette stretched her arms and cracked her knuckles, sighing some in the small amount of relief it brought. "Should we…not have it," she asked abruptly, startling Keitaro with the suddenness of her question.

_Should've know this would come up,_ he thought. "That choice is yours Kitsune. I can't say that I particularly like that option, but if that's what you want to do, then I can't stop you," he told the brown haired woman.

"If I choose to have the baby, what'll you do," Kitsune asked, her face unreadable.

"I," Keitaro started, but couldn't finish. _What would I do,_ he mused. He knew that he wouldn't leave Kitsune alone to raise the child on her own, but what did this do for his dreams of going to Todai-U and winning Naru's heart. _I know exactly what'll happen in that department. Naru'll make me the first man to see the end of the universe and I'll have to drop out of college. Kenny, you hit the nail right on the head_,he mused.

Taking a deep breath, Keitaro looked up at Kitsune and smiled softly. "I'll be there to help raise the kid. Even though I may love Naru and even though I want to go to school, I'd give it all up for my child."

Blinking back a sudden tear, the resident trickster leaped to her feet and threw her arms around the landlord's neck. "Thank you Kei," she whispered, her face pressed into his neck allowing her tears to run freely.

Unsure of what caused her sudden outburst, the bespectacled man hesitantly put his arms around her shoulders and rocked her back and forth making soothing sounds. After what felt like years, she finally calmed down but made no attempts to try and move away from his embrace.

"I do want to have this baby," Kitsune said, breaking the silence.

Sighing, Keitaro rubbed her back and looked down at her. "What should we tell the others," he asked.

Just then, Naur's head popped through the hole in Keitaro's ceiling. "Hey Keitaro! Do you have that….study book…I leant to you….," asked the young woman, her voice trailing off at the site below her.

_What the hell's going on here_, she thought.

In the next moments, her brain registered the site of an emotional Kitsune held by a flustered Keitaro. If anybody were paying close attention to the sounds going on in the room, they'd swear to have heard a switch being flipped on as Naru went into Terminator mode.

_**(Naru's POV)**_

_Analyzing area:_

_Subject A: Urashima Keitaro A.K.A. Pervert Ronin_

_Subject B: Konno Mitsune A.K.A. Kitsune A.K.A. Best friend_

_Disturbances detected: Crying Kitsune in the arms of Pervert Ronin. Most likely said pervert attempted to force himself on her……………Executing Pervert Punishment: Iron Punch will launch in…5…4…3…2…1_

_**(Normal POV)**_

Unleashing her usual battle cry, the Tokyo-U hopeful leaped through the hole that separated her quarters from the landlord's and charged at him, her eyes glowing malevolently in the dim room.

Realizing what was happening; Keitaro pushed Kitsune away just as Naru's punch connected with his chin, sending him flying through the roof. "WHAT DID I DO," he cried as he flew the air.

Breathing heavily, Naru looked at Kitsune. "You okay," the younger woman asked, but was silenced by the look on her friends face.

"Why'd ya do that? He won't doin' a single thing wrong," Kitsune spat. A sly grin appearing on her face, she leered at Naru. "Was the sight of another woman n his arms enough to send you over the edge," she asked, hoping that putting Naru's feeling for Keitaro in the spotlight would make her forget her previous vehemence.

Stammering and turning beet red, the ronin backed away as fast as she could. "No! Why would you think that? I don't care if he's holding some other woman, it's not like we're an item or anything. I just thought he was up to his old tricks and he was trying to…uh…you know…seduce you," she finished lamely.

Chuckling, Kitsune patted her friend on the back. "You honestly think that I'd fall for any line he threw me," she asked.

Relaxing some, Naru smiled at Kitsune. "No, but why were you crying? You looked pretty upset," inquired the young brunette.

"I had something happen and since you were studying an' everyone else here is either to young or busy with work, I was left with Keitaro," she said, evading the truth slightly. She breathed an inaudible sigh of relief when it seemed Naru had accepted her story without question.

"It's almost time for dinner. You coming down now," asked the bespectacled woman.

"Nah, you go on. I'll be down after a while though," said Kitsune, making shooing motions.

Once she was alone she let out a breath hadn't known she'd been holding and walked over to the recently made hole in the wall. "What are we gonna do Kei," she mused aloud before turning and walking down to join the rest of the house for dinner.

The twinkling stars were the only thing that watched over Keitaro as he made his way back to the dorms. He sighed and looked up, almost hoping that those stars would hold the solution to this ordeal, they just winked at him.

_So she's having the baby. Kitsune's having my baby, even if it is the truth it still doesn't seem real. I wonder what the future holds for us. _At the word "us" he stopped. _What does this make Kitsune to me? What does this make me to her? Come to think of it, I don't really know that much about her. She's so secretive about her past._

His thoughts ran over his experiences with the brown haired woman until he found himself at the bottom of the stairs leading up to his home. "Why'd our ancestors love putting things at the top of insanely tall staircases? It's like they want to make our lives hell from the grave," he groused. Sighing, he began climbing the steps.

Once he was at the top he saw Kitsune standing in the doorframe, a glass of water in her hand and a small smile adoring her face. She used her free hand to brush a stray lock of her light brown hair from her face as she started to walk towards the weary man.

"Here, I thought you might want this," she said once was in front of him, holding the water out to him. He smiled gratefully and took a gulp of the cold liquid. "You alright," Kitsune asked.

Nodding, Keitaro walked over to a nearby bench and patted the spot next to him. Wondering what was up; the mom-to-be walked over and sat beside him, watching him watch the stars. The two sat in silence, the sounds of the night filling the air around them.

"So," Keitaro said, breaking the stillness in the air between them. He looked at Kitsune and smiled softly. "I'm gonna be a dad, huh? Did you tell the others," he asked.

Kitsune shook her head and chuckled. "Nah. That's somethin' we should do together. 'Sides, if I told them the news, do you honestly think you'd still be alive? Naru was wonderin' what I was crying 'bout though."

Laughing, he shook his head. "You're right. Naru and Motoko would've hunted me down and killed me by now," he said.

Silence hung between them. "Kitsune, I've been thinking…a lot," started Keitaro. He ran his fingers through his hair and looked at his feet. "We're having a kid together and we've never really sat down and talked. We haven't ever really hung out or spent time alone together, well except for that night," he said, making them both laugh lightly.

He took hold of her hand and looked her in the eye, a light blush tinting his cheeks. "I want to get to know you, the part of you that you don't show. I may not be a perceptive person, but it just seems like you're hiding something," said Keitaro in a barely audible voice.

Kitsune's heart was racing. What was he saying? What did he mean she was hiding something? Did he know about _it_? Her thoughts were a jumbled mess as she looked at Keitaro.

She took a deep breath and sighed heavily. "I know we don't really spend too much quality time together Kei, I know. It's just; you're always with Naru or Mutsumi studying. I didn't want to get in the way of that. I get what you're sayin' though an' I'd like to spend some time with you too. I've got a request though," she said, smiling her usual smile that meant, 'I'm gonna get exactly what I want at the end of all this.'

Wondering what she wanted Keitaro nodded. "Alright, whatever you want, it's yours," he said.

_Famous last words Kei. Wait, too morbid of an expression. I'll hold you to it, there that's better_, thought Kitsune, grinning inwardly. She shot the manager a smile and winked at him. "You have to take me on some dates, an' not like the abysmal failures you had with Naru. I think it's a small favor to ask, considering I'm carrying your future kid," she said, grinning at him.

Laughing nervously, Keitaro scratched the back of his head and nodded. "Okay. I can do that," he said. _I only hope Naru doesn't kill me_, he thought. Standing up, he offered Kitsune a hand and helped her to her feet. "We should get inside and get some sleep, it's pretty late," he said.

The two walked up to their respective rooms and bid each other good night. Once he shut his door, Keitaro stripped out of his clothes and pulled a pair of black lounge pants on. He was just about to lie down when he heard a light knock on his door. Curious, he walked over and opened it to find Kitsune standing there in a long dark purple t-shirt.

"You need something," he asked, puzzled as to why she would be at his room. When she nodded he pulled his door open and ushered her inside. Once she was standing in his room he leaned against the wall and looked at the young woman.

"I know this is going to be asking a lot," she began. After taking a breath to steady her nerves she finished. "I know I may have been laughing and joking out there but really I'm scared and I don't want to be alone right now. Please don't freak out but, can I sleep next to you," she asked.

Stammering and blushing profusely, Keitaro stared at her. _What the hell is she thinking? If Naru or Motoko sees us like that they'll kill me,_ he thought but his mental tirade was thrown out when he saw the pleading look on Kitsune's face. Sighing and scratching the back of his neck he acquiesced. _I've always been a pushover_, he thought as he lay down on his futon, holding the covers up for the pregnant woman.

Lying down, Kitsune snuggled close against his chest and sighed in content. Feeling him tense at her actions she turned over and smiled softly at him. "Don't worry I won't do anything. For right now, this is purely platonic," she teased.

The sands of time seemed to flow different for the brunette than it did for the rest of the house. The sounds of sleep came from Naur's room and the digital numbers on Keitaro's clock appeared to change once every five hours. Behind her she could feel the slow breathing of the Tokyo-U hopeful tickling her neck. She knew that he was dozing off.

"Kei," Kitsune whispered.

"Hm," his hummed response.

"Can…can you hold me," she requested.

In that daze between lucidness and slumber, the manager wrapped his arms around Kitsune's waist, gently pulling her towards him. The woman breathed out a content breath and soon fell victim to the soothing song of the sandman.

The feeling of breath on his cheek roused Keitaro. He blearily opened his eyes and fumbled for his glasses. Once he found them he put them on and stifled a yawn and stared at Kitsune. _Wait…what the hell is she doing here_, he asked himself, freezing up. The previous night started to filter into his mind as he recalled the conversation he had with the woman sleeping beside him and he relaxed slightly.

_I do have to admit that she's beautiful asleep_, he thought. Timidly, he reached and brushed aside a lock of hair that had fallen across her face. His gentle touch was enough to pull Kitsune into the realm of consciousness.

She smiled at the prone man. "Mornin'," she mumbled. Stretching, she put her arms around his neck. "We should probably," she began but stopped when she stood up sharply and made a beeline for the restroom. Once she had emptied her stomach of its contents she returned to Keitaro's room and flopped onto the futon beside him and curled up into his chest. "Let's go back to sleep," she mumbled.

Not wanting to argue, Keitaro consented. And, even though he wouldn't really admit it, he enjoyed having Kitsune sleep beside him. Something about her presence made him feel......he wasn't sure what emotion it was yet, only that it was extremely pleasant.

Down below in the dinning room Motoko sat with Haruka at the table, the older woman drinking a mug of black coffee and the young swordswoman a glass of tea. At the sounds of Kitsune running down the hall above them the raven haired woman looked up and frowned.

"That's the second time in row she's done this. Do you think she may be ill, Haruka-san," she asked, taking a drink from her glass.

The elder Urashima laughed softly and shrugged. She lit a cigarette and took a long pull before looking at Motoko. "I can't really speak for her. If it was something serious, she would talk to the rest of you girls about it, I would think," she said before taking a long draught from her glass.

Nodding her agreement, Motoko took a sip of her tea, savoring the flavor. She cleared her throat and looked at Haruka. "By the way, I happened to notice that her room was vacant this morning. I'm not normally one to pry into the lives of others, but she seemed to be under a great deal of stress these past few days and she spiked my curiosity so I peeked into her room on my way to the roof," she said.

Anything the house mother was going to say was lost in Shinobu's call that breakfast was ready. The other residents made their way down the stairs, grumbling about loosing precious sleep. Everyone, that is, except for the infamous ronin and the resident 'fox.'

"Where's Keitaro and the fox lady," asked Su in her usual upbeat voice before shoveling food in her mouth. Everyone shrugged and turned their attention to their respective plates, enjoying the food. All throughout breakfast there was no sign of the manager or Kitsune.

Once all of the food was cleared away and the dishes were in the dishwasher, the residents went about their usual activities for a lazy Saturday morning. Naru went to her room to sit under the kotatsu and study. Motoko traversed to the roof to train. Su and Sarah ran through the house, looking for hidden passages and anything interesting. Shinobu was the sole inhabitant of the Hinata-sou that went looking for the two missing people.

_Where could they be_, she pondered as she walked quietly down the halls of the expansive house. When she reached Kitsune's room she knocked lightly on the door. After hearing no reply she knocked again, more forcefully and she even called out to the older woman. "Kitsune, are you there," she asked. Still only silence answered her call.

Taking a breath, she opened the door a crack and called out again. "Pardon me for barging in, but it's past time for breakfast. I saved...you...a...plate," she told the empty room. _That's funny; I thought she stayed home last night. Did she sneak out without telling anybody?_

Slightly confused, the young chef made her way down the hall to Keitaro's room. Blushing lightly, she knocked on his door. "S-Sempai...are you there," she whispered timidly. Again she received no reply. Just as she was about to turn away she was hit with a thought.

_Since he's not here, I can look at his room_, she said to herself, turning red at the rumination. _It's not like anyone's going to see me and even if someone did, I could tell them I was just checking to see if he was okay_, she thought, pleased with being able to come up with a cover story.

She looked at the door and took a deep breath to steel herself. With trembling hands she slowly slid the door to Keitaro's room open, only enough for the bright morning sunlight to peek inside and giver her a good look at what lay in the chambers of her Sempai. A strangled gasp escaped her mouth at what she did see.

She saw Keitaro's arms, but they were wrapped around the slim waist of a woman. Not just any woman, she realized. _So this is where they were,_ she thought. _How...how could you do this to me Sempai_, she moaned, blinking back a hot wave of tears. The young girl watched as the man she so desperately wanted to call hers pulled Kitsune closer against his chest while he mumbled something in his sleep.

Shinobu chocked back a sob, shut the door and as quickly and quietly as she could, the bluenette ran to her room. Her petit shoulders shaking with unheard cries and her pillows soaked with bitter tears.

Hearing something outside, Kitsune cracked open her eyes open enough to see Shinobu stand up, brush aside a tear and shut the door to Keitaro's room. _Damn,_ she thought. _I wasn't expecting anyone to see us like this. I'm glad that it was only Shinobu that found us. Knowing her, she's probably in her room crying right now. As much as I hate the thought of leaving Kei's bed, I really should go and talk to her._

Her mind made up, Kitsune discreetly maneuvered her way out of Keitaro's arms and quietly padded her way to the blue haired girl's room. Once she was standing outside the door she listened intently. Soft sobs could be heard coming from within making the older woman wince. Sighing, the brunette knocked on Shinobu's door. "Hey Shinobu, can I come in," she asked. She heard no reply, but the sobbing had ceased noticed Kitsune. She stepped back abruptly when the door opened slightly.

"Wh-what do you need K-Kitsune," stammered the chef, her eyes puffy and red.

Cringing somewhat at the sight, Kitsune pulled the door open wider and stepped inside. "You alright kiddo," she asked, already knowing the answer but wanting to her it come out the girls own mouth.

A pregnant silence hung in the air for a moment before Shinobu broke into a fresh wave of tears. She stumbled over to Kitsune and fell into the older woman's arms, hitting her chest, the blows not doing any real damage.

"Why...why Kitsune," she asked, her voice broken by the sobs.

Wincing at the question, Kitsune looked down at the young woman. She rubbed her back and made soothing noises. "I can't tell you everything right now Shinobu. There are something's that led up to what you saw, and I'll explain those later, but I'd like to hear what you saw," she requested.

Gaining control of her emotions some the younger woman sniffed. "I saw you in Sempai's bed. You were curled up against his chest and he was h-holding you very close. I could tell he didn't have his shirt on," she said blushing. "I just couldn't tell if you were the same. W-were you," she asked, fearing the answer.

Chuckling slightly, Kitsune shook her head. "Nah. I was dressed. We didn't do anything but sleep Shinobu. Now, why did it upset you so much to see me with Keitaro?"

Turning beet red, Shinobu pushed herself away from the older woman and quickly looked at her feet. She mumbled something inaudible and twiddled her thumbs. She peeked at Kitsune and blushed even more under the woman's stare.

"I couldn't hear you," she said.

Taking a shuddering breath, the timid young woman looked at Kitsune. "I-it bothered me....b-b-because I d-don't really want to see anybody there...........except for...me," she finished meekly. Immediately after saying this she looked down and turned a darker shade of red, amazing Kitsune at the different shades of the color.

Smiling, the brown haired woman looked at Shinobu, memories of her younger years flashing through her mind. "You do know that he'll probably never see you like that," she told the girl. "I do know how you feel though," she informed the young chef. "It's true," she said when the bluenette looked up at her with a doubting expression.

Sighing, Kitsune walked over to the girl's bed and sat down, patting the spot next to her. Shinobu hesitated a moment before sitting next to her. "So, how can you relate to my situation," asked the young woman softly.

"You know Seta," asked Kitsune. Nodding, Shinobu gestured for her to go on. "Well, how you are around Keitaro, it was worse when I was around Seta. Me an' Naru were both like that. So I can empathize with you. One thing I learned was that it never would have worked between us," said the woman.

Her shoulders slumping, Shinobu sighed. _Deep down, I guess I know it'd never work between Keitaro and me either. I should be happy for him if he's happy, and he did look happy when I saw him. Still, I can't help but feel jealous. _She looked up at Kitsune and smiled sadly at her. "Thank you for talking to me. I don't want to sound rude, but could you please leave me alone for a little while," she asked.

Nodding, Kitsune rose to her feet, brining the girl, _No, young lady_, she thought, up with her. The older woman pulled her into a hug and walked out. She walked slowly to Keitaro's room, contemplating what her and the ronin should say to the rest of the house. Silently slipping back inside, she was slightly taken aback when she saw that the raven-haired man was sitting up and waiting for her. He was already dressed, from what she could see.

"Morning...again," he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

Smiling at him, Kitsune nodded. "Right back at ya Kei."

"So...what now," he asked, not really sure as to what the generously endowed woman wanted to do next. _Does she expect me to take her out today? I was kind of hoping we could talk about what we're gonna tell the others_, he thought.

Shrugging, Kitsune looked at the ceiling. "Don't really know off the top of my head. Why don't we go and grab a bite to eat in town, seein' as how we already missed breakfast. Then we can go over what how we're gonna break the news to everybody else," she suggested.

Grinning, Keitaro stood up. "I was actually thinking something along those same lines," he said, stretching.

"Great minds think alike," chuckled Kitsune. "Lemme go get changed and then we'll head out, 'kay," she said.

Humming his agreement, the karinin walked over to the door and slid it open. "After you," he said, bowing low and laughing lightly.

Walking past him with a feigned regal gate, she giggled. "Ever the gentleman Urashima," she said, playing along. _At least he's in a good mood. I expected him to freak out and bolt as soon as he woke up. You just earned yourself a few more points Keitaro_, she thought amusedly as she walked to her room.

Down in the foyer, Keitaro was greeted by the dynamic duo, a.k.a. Su and Sarah, in the usual fashion. The young Indian girl kicked him in the face while the American girl slammed a priceless artifact into his shins.

After he got back up Sarah ran around his legs. "What are you all dressed up for dork," she asked, punctuating each word with a punch or kick.

Groaning somewhat, the girl was quite strong for a nine year old; Keitaro walked a little closer to the door. "I'm going to town with Kitsune today. We've got some things we need to talk about," he said. The poor man, trying to get away from the young foreigners assault, took no notice of the raven-haired swordswoman making her way down the stairs.

_So, Kitsune is going to town with Urashima. Maybe I should follow them, to make sure the pervert doesn't try anything,_ she thought.

_Is that really the reason you want to go_, cut in another voice. It was one that she made a habit of ignoring.

_Yes that's the only reason_, she snapped back, her anger growing at the laughter coming from the other voice.

_If you say so Motoko. If you say so_, it said before receding back into the chasms of the young woman's mind.

_Great, now I'm going crazy_, she thought darkly before making her way down the stairs and to the front door. "Urashima, stop pestering the children. How do ever hope to achieve your dreams if all you ever do is play," she asked, before pushing past him and walking out the front door. _I won't follow them. There, say something about that you stupid voice_, she thought triumphantly.

_Now you're just being a stubborn child_, it replied before going back to sleep making the young swordswoman scream in frustration.

"Keitaro, you ready," called Kitsune from the top of the stairs. She walked down and saw him standing by the door. He was dressed in a pair tattered of black pants with what looked like two chains hanging from the legs. A white 'Dir en Grey' t-shirt hugged his chest while a long black duster was put on over that. A pair of biker boots and gloves completed his ensemble. _Damn.........................Keitaro you are racking up some serious points._

She was dressed in a tight black tee with dark purple bats dusting it. A black and purple plaid skirt hung just above her knees and skin tight black leggings were on under that. Her boots made a loud '_thunking_' noise as she walked down the stairs to stand beside the young manager. She smiled at him before pulling him out the door. "So what's with the punked out get-up?"

Nervously looking at his clothes, he stopped walking. "Does it look bad," he asked.

Waving her hands in front of her face, she laughed. "No. Hell no, in fact it makes you look a lot better," Kitsune smiled.

Her answering lessening some of his worry he gently grabbed her hand and led her to a small building beside Haruka's shop. "I know it's not the safest way to travel, but this is something I've wanted to share with you girls for a while now," he said, opening the doors. Inside stood a gleaming, crimson, 1968 Chevy Corvette Sting Ray.

_Pack it up Naru, you ain't gettin' this guy_, thought Kitsune as she stared open mouthed at the work of art before her. She walked over to it and ran a finger over the hood. "Why haven't you ever showed this to us before," she asked once she got her breath back.

Chuckling at her reaction, he walked over to the drivers side and hopped in. "Because I didn't know if y'all would like it or not. I may not be a very good example of masculinity, but I do love cars. Especially this one. Granny Hina got it for me two years ago from a friend of hers that lives in America. It was in pretty bad shape and it took some time to fix 'er up, but it was worth it," he said, cranking up his baby, taking pride in her roar. Seeing Kitsune frozen in place, he grinned and revved the engine.

Blinking, she opened her door and sat down. Looking over at him, she shot him a smile. "So where to," she asked.

"Well since it's almost noon, I say grab a bite at that new steak-house in Tokyo," he said before speeding off. Once the got to the restaurant and had ordered their food the two began discussing how they would tell the rest of the house their news.

"Why don't we take them all out to an amusement park, let them all have fun and then tell them," suggested Keitaro. _I really want to have a relaxed Naru and Motoko hear this_, he thought. Taking a bite of his food he smiled at the flavor, while not up to par with Shinobu's cooking it was still enjoyable nonetheless.

Shaking her head, Kitsune took a bite of the salad she'd ordered. "That wouldn't work. They would know that something's up and grill us until we spill," she stated matter-of-factly. Taking a sip of green tea, she studied Keitaro. _I wonder when he got those clothes. I mean, it's not what he usually wears._

"Keitaro," she asked, breaking the silence that had settled upon them. He looked up at her, his bangs shielding his eyes somewhat. A slight blush tinted her cheeks. "How come you're dressed like that? Don't get me wrong, it suits you, but I never pictured you to be one of the guy's to dress all…punk-ish," she said.

Chuckling after he swallowed his steak, he smirked at Kitsune. "I used to dress like this in high school. I went to small school in the country and we could choose to wear uniforms or not. I didn't really like them so I wore stuff like this. When I graduated I stopped really caring about how I looked so I could focus more on studying. I guess I haven't really felt the need to get all 'made up' for awhile. Also, I didn't want my nice clothes to get messed up because of the 'pervert patrol'," he said, laughing.

"You were pretty damn lucky you got that choice. Me an' Naru were stuck in uniforms until we graduated," she said. She smiled and took a bite of her salad. _So he's into the rocker __**look**__, what about music_, she mused. "What's some of the stuff you listen too, like music wise? I noticed at parties that you usually sit as far away from the stereo as possible."

"Take a look at the shirt," he said pointing at his chest. "I like Diru a lot but I'm really into anything rock, metal, and electronic stuff," he said. He absentmindedly brushed his bangs aside. "What do you like to listen too," he asked. _Please, God, Satan, Buddha, Allah, Shiva, and any other deity out their, don't let her say bubblegum pop_, he prayed.

"I like just about anything, well except for that happy, bubbly pop crap," she said, raising an eyebrow when Keitaro looked up and mouthed '_Thank you_' to the heavens. Shrugging, she took a sip of her tea. The two sat and talked for a while about various subjects like, Kitsune's fear of frogs, the things the girls did that really annoyed Keitaro, and their hopes and dreams for the future. After a while, silence fell between them.

"Kitsune," Keitaro said quietly, making the woman look up at him.

"Yes," she asked. _What's up with that look_, she wondered.

Taking a deep breath, Keitaro forced himself to look Kitsune in the eyes, a dark crimson blush painted on his features. "I remember that, yesterday, you said that you hadn't been taking your pills. Does that mean that…you were…uh…," he stammered, trying to find the right words to say.

Kitsune waited patiently for him to continue, knowing what question was going to be asked. "Dose that mean I was…what," she asked, gently prodding him to finish his question.

Taking a shuddering breath, Keitaro looked back at the beautiful woman before him. "Were you…having sex before you slept with me," he asked quietly, looking down quickly and tensing up.

Sighing, Kitsune looked at the dark haired man in front of her. She gently took his hand in hers, making him look up into her eyes once more. "Yes, I was," she said. "I've been around a few times Keitaro, but please don't think I'm easy, because I'm not."

"I know that," he blurted out. "Oh, sorry for interrupting," said shyly. He made a gesture for her to continue.

"I'd had a dry spell for quite a while and I wasn't taking my birth control pills like I was supposed to. When we went out that night, I never thought we'd sleep together," said, rubbing her thumb against the back of his hand.

The two stayed like for a while, letting life pass around them. Coughing to clear his throat, Keitaro looked at Kitsune. "If my memory's right, you said I was," he paused as a bright blush made his face glow. "You said I was good at '_it_'. I know I don't have much experience in _that_ department but I'm pretty sure virgins aren't that good at sex," he said.

Chuckling, the brunette brought her hand up to caress Keitaro's face. "You were, in your own way. Sure I've been with some that've had more…how should I say this…style," _and endurance_ she silently added, "but you were the first man to ever try and please me. That's why I said that." _Not to mention that it was the first time I had sex with a guy that I actually loved_, she thought.

Grinning slightly, Keitaro grabbed her hands. "I think that we go ahead and leave," he said, not noticing the frown on Kitsune's face. "We should just get everyone together and tell them straight out," he said, standing up and grabbing his coat from the back of his chair. After he threw a tip on the table he helped his friend to her feet.

The drive back to the Hinata-sou was silent. When they pulled back into the small garage, Keitaro and Kitsune looked at one another and gulped. Together they walked up the steps to the dorm, each one seeming to grow taller than the last and each one harder to climb.

Once they were inside, Keitaro put his arm around Kitsune's shoulder. "You go wait in the living room," he said before releasing her and walking up the stairs that led to the girls' rooms. As he neared Naru's room, a funeral dirge began to play in his mind. _Keep it together_, he told himself.

He knocked softly on her door. Not surprised she didn't answer, he knocked a bit harder.

"Who is it," she called out.

"It's me, Keitaro."

"Oh, what do you need? And why weren't you at breakfast by the way," she asked.

"Could you come down to the living room? I've got something to say and everyone needs to hear it," he said, walking away, ignoring her second question.

He repeated the same lines to the rest of the house before walking down to the family room. "Aunt Haruka what're you," he started but was cut off when she hit him with her fan. _Ow_, he thought, rubbing the sore spot. "Sorry. Haruka-san, why are you here?"

The older Urashima pointed at Kitsune, her other hand putting the harisan back into the pocket of her apron. "She called and asked if I could come over, said it was important and that I would be needed," she answered.

Shuddering, Keitaro looked at Kitsune, his face screaming '_thank you_.' He walked over to the woman and sat beside her on the couch. He tensed up when he felt Kitsune grab his hand but relaxed some after a moment and intertwined their fingers, drawing a little strength from the contact.

About five minutes later the rest of the house walked into the den together, talking about random things, but all conversation died as soon as they saw Keitaro and Kitsune.

"Why the hell are you holding her hand, pervert," screamed Naru, making Keitaro cringe.

Gently squeezing his hand once, Kitsune let go and the landlord rose slowly to his feet. "Would…would you all please take a seat," he asked, gesturing to the various chairs and sofas. Once everyone was seated, Keitaro cleared his throat.

"I…I've got some pretty big news," he said.

"You finally passed the entrance exams," asked Sarah, never one to miss a chance to mock the Todai-U hopeful.

Grimacing, he shook his head. "No, that's not it," he said before taking a deep, shaky breath. "Do you all remember about a month ago? I did really well on a practice exam so me and Kitsune went out to celebrate," he asked. Everyone nodded, a curious look plastered on each face, save for Haruka.

Keitaro sighed and started pacing. "Well you all might remember that we didn't come home that night and to make a long story short, KitsuneandIsplettogetherandnowshe'spregnantandI'mgonnabeadadinabouteightmonths," he said as fast as he could before throwing his arms in front of his face to shield any attacks that might be thrown at him.

A collective silence held the group for a few moments as the tenets brains processed what Keitaro had just told them. The words, _Kitsune_, _pregnant_, and_ I'm gonna be a dad_, were clearly heard.

Naru was he first to react. She stood to her feet, slowly, like a lion rising from the grasses ready to lunge at its prey. A tear ran down her cheek as she raised her fist and ran at Keitaro. "YOU FUCKING DUMBASS! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME? YOU SAY YOU LOVE ME AND THEN YOU GO AND FUCK MY BEST FRIEND? GO TO HELL YOU BASTARD," she screamed, her fist flying at the prone man with all of her strength behind it.

Keitaro cringed and tried to make himself as small a target as he could. Suddenly he heard the tell tale sound of flesh hitting flesh and winced. When he noticed he hadn't felt a thing he hesitantly looked up. The site before him made his jaw drop. Haruka was holding Naru's fist, but that wasn't the shocking thing.

_Haruka's pissed_, thought Keitaro. His cousin's usually unreadable face was contorted in rage veins popping up on her forehead. "Sit down Naru. Now," she ordered her tone frigid. Too shocked to do otherwise, the brown haired woman obeyed.

"I know what Keitaro means to you, but you had better sit down, shut up, and let him say what he needs to say before I do to you what you were about to do to him," said Haruka. She nodded at Keitaro.

Gulping, the man stood up straight and studied the room's occupants. Su and Sarah were sporting identical looks of shock. Motoko was absentmindedly gripping the handle of her sword, her knuckles chalk white against the black material. Naru still looked dazed but she was gazing coldly at Keitaro. Shinobu was crying.

_Well this is going better than I thought. I'm not dead yet_, he mused, patting himself on the back for surviving thus far. He cleared his throat and went to sit back down beside Kitsune. "We've decided to have the baby. I'm going to help raise it. I won't leave her to deal with this on her own," he said, looking over at Kitsune and grabbing her hand.

"I know this may come as a shock to y'all," said the brunette started. "But just try to go easy on us for right now. Oh, and don't blame Keitaro for this either. He tried to stop it but I pushed him to it," she said.

Silence hung in the room. Shinobu sobbed, Su and Sarah whispered to each other, and Naru and Motoko ground their teeth. Finally, Shinobu looked up.

"I-Is that why you were in bed together this morning," she asked quietly.

The rest of the house froze at this. _That's where she was_, Motoko realized.

_Why didn't I think to check his room? I could have found out about all this hours ago and killed him then,_ Naru thought.

Nodding, Kitsune sighed. "Yeah, kind of. We both just found out and I didn't wanna be alone. We didn't do anything last night though," she added when Naru shot her a questioning glare.

"And just why are we supposed to believe you," she asked Kitsune. "You've always been plotting something. Maybe this is all another plan of yours. Is it Kitsune, is it," Naru asked fiercely.

Glaring, Kitsune stood to her feet and stomped over to the younger woman and slapped her hard across the face. "I don't know what makes you think you have the right to say that to me, but I would suggest you stop listening to that voice now. This isn't something I'd joke about Naru, you know that," she spat.

Rising to her feet, Naru glared at her friend, nose to nose before her eyes filled with tears and she ran out of the room. _Damn it Kitsune. You know I love him. Why'd you have to do it_, she thought, running to her room and throwing herself onto her bed. The young woman buried her face in her pillows and cried. She cried over the death of a friendship almost as old as she was and for a love unrecognized until now.

Down in the living room, the rest of the house sat in silence. The clock's ticking and the gentle sound of breathing were the only noises heard.

Growling, Motoko rose. "Urashima, be happy that Haruka is here to prevent me from harming you. The only reason I will not kill you is because of the child Kitsune now carries. I won't be the one to force an innocent baby to live in a world not knowing its father, even it is a pathetic worm like you," she said before walking to the roof.

The rest of the house sat in quiet contemplation. Seeing that everyone else was thinking, Keitaro walked to his room. Once he was inside he pulled out an old dusty guitar. _Been awhile since I played you_, he thought, tuning it up. He closed his eyes and started to pick random strings, not really paying attention to what he was doing, just trying to alleviate some of the stress. He didn't notice that Kitsune stood at his door watching him that Naru had removed the plank of wood that covered the hole in her floor and was looking at him as well.

A soft melody rang out, chaotic but beautiful. So depressing but still able to lift the sprits and bring hope to the hopeless. It was the most enchanting thing they had ever heard. That night, as the residents of the Hinata-sou fell prey to the sirens song of sleep, Naru and Kitsune both heard nothing but the sounds of Keitaro's guitar and the song of his emotions ringing in their ears as the moon and stars kept a silent vigil over the house.

The sun crept up from behind the trees as the birds sang their ovations to the morning. The grumbled curses of those waking from their slumber drifted from the walls of the Hinata dorms. A soft smile splayed across his face, Keitaro watched the sunrise from the zenith of the house.

_It's a little funny that I slept so great last night when I know that half the house wants to kill, maim, and/or neuter me_, he thought, stretching his arms over his head. _I'd better go down and see if I can help Shinobu with breakfast, try and rebuild some of the bridges I'm sure I've damaged if not burned._

With that thought, Keitaro walked down the steps, passing Motoko along the way, who was doing her best to avoid the man. Once he was in the kitchen the bespectacled man made his way over to the teen standing in front of the counter cutting up some peppers.

"Morning Shinobu," he said, startling the girl.

Turning to face him, she blushed slightly. "G-Good morning Sempai," she mumbled shyly. Looking at her feet, Shinobu twiddled her thumbs. "D-Do you need anything," she asked quietly.

Smiling, Keitaro shook his head. "No, I just came down to see if you'd like some help. You're always cooking everything so I thought you'd like a hand," he told her, his smile still plastered to his face. Nodding, she pointed to a cutting board with a small pile of onions beside it.

"I'm making an American dish this morning, omelets, and you can chop the onions," she said before she went back to slicing red bell peppers. Soon the smell of eggs, cheese, ham, onions, and peppers being cooked together filled the kitchen. "Keitaro-sempai, would please start brewing the coffee, asked the young chef.

Smiling and nodding, the man walked over and prepared the coffee maker. _I guess now's as good a time as any to ask her about last night_, he ruminated. Looking over at the young girl he called to her. "Hey, Shinobu, what are your thoughts on what me and Kitsune told you guys?"

Stopping what she was doing, the blue-haired teen looked at Keitaro. "I-It really doesn't matter what I think," she said.

Frowning, the karinin shook his head. "Yes it does. I care about what all of you think. I know that Kitsune being pregnant affects mainly me and her, but it's going to affect the whole house as well," he told the girl.

Sighing, Shinobu looked down. "If you really want to know, then alright," she acquiesced. "I'm upset that you hid what the two of you did. I'm disappointed in you Sempai. I always thought you were this great man. You never did anything to hurt us, no matter what Naru or Motoko said you did. And now I find out that you've got Kitsune pregnant. I really thought better of you, but now, I'm not so sure. Mostly though, I'm jea...," she started but cut herself off when she realized that she almost let something out.

Silently praying that Keitaro didn't catch her slip of tongue. Whatever she prayed to must have been on vacation at the time for her prayer went unheard. "Mostly you're...what Shinobu-chan," asked the befuddled man.

Blushing a deep crimson, the bluenette looked away. "I said I'm mostly...jealous it's not me," she said quietly.

"Gah," was the raven-haired mans only response. He stood in the kitchen, his mouth agape and his eyes as wide as saucers. _Holyhellwhatthefuck_, he said to himself. _She's jealous of Kitsune? She wants to be pregnant? What's with this girl? She wanted me to..._, he abruptly ended his ruminations, refusing to let his mind stray down that path.

Sighing, he walked over to the young girl and gently put his hands on her shoulders. "Shinobu," he began but was cut off with a teary glare from the chef.

"I know what you're going to say. 'You're too young to know what you want. You can't possibly be sure of something like that'," she said, wiping the tears from her eyes. "But I do know Sempai, I do. I've loved you for a long time now, longer than anybody else here, and it hurts to see that you're going to spend you're life with someone else," she said before breaking into another fresh wave of tears.

She fell against his chest and sobbed into his shirt. Keitaro tensed up again, still not used to physical contact with women, but wrapped his arms around the shoulders of the young girl. He rubbed her back and made soothing noises. _Kitsune wasn't kidding when she said that they all liked me. I just never thought Shinobu was one of them. And what did she mean, spend the rest of my life with someone else? Wait a minute, that brings up a good question. Since I promised to help raise the baby and be there in the future, dose that mean I have to marry Kitsune?_

"S-Sempai," said Shinobu, looking up at Keitaro.

"Hmm?"

"You can let go now. I think I'll be okay. Could you go let the others know that breakfast is ready," asked the girl. Once he ad left the room she dried her eyes on her apron and lifted a platter of food. "Careful everybody, it's hot," she said, forcing a smile to her face.

Breakfast was an unusually subdued affair. Naru and Motoko kept trying to murder Keitaro with their eyes. Su was the only acting like her usual self, eating anything and everything left unattended to on the table. Shinobu was quieter than usual, a thoughtful look glazing her eyes over. The only talking came from Keitaro and Kitsune as they whispered to one another.

"Kitsune," the bespectacled manager said quietly. "Do you feel up to a walk after we finish eating?"

Nodding, she placing a forkful of egg in her mouth and frowned. "Bleh. Sorry Shinobu, but did you do anything different this morning," she asked.

Snapping out of her revier, the young woman looked at the older woman. "No. I cooked them like I usually do," she said, shaking her head. "Is anything wrong?"

"Just not agreeing with me I guess," she said before smiling down at her stomach. "Or it could be you don't like omelets," she said, resting a hand on her belly.

This action seemed to send Naru and Motoko over the edge, so to speak. Both woman stood and walked out the room, glaring daggers at both Keitaro and Kitsune on their way out.

_Who does she think she is, rubbing it in our faces like that_, fumed the brunette as she walked to her room. Slamming the door, she walked over to her desk and pulled out her notebooks. _That's it, I'll just study, calm down, and then once I see Kitsune again I'll talk to her about this_, she told herself. Of course, being angry doesn't help ones studying skills. All Naru could do was think about the news she had received the night before.

Motoko walked to the roof. Once she was on the top of the house, she sat down and tried to meditate. _It would seem that Urashima plans to take Kitsune out again today. I hope, for his sake, that he doesn't do or say anything to hurt her_, she thought before clearing her mind and focusing on things to put herself in a better mood.

Below, in the foyer, Keitaro and Kitsune were standing at the front door talking to Su, Sarah, and Shinobu. "We'll only be gone for about an hour two. Don't let anyone inside that you don't know, okay," said Keitaro. The girls nodded and the two adults walked out the door.

Outside a chilly wind blew making Kitsune shiver slightly. _Shoulda grabbed my coat_, she groused. Suddenly, she felt a heavy weight on her shoulders. Looking down, she realized that it was Keitaro's duster and the brunette shot him a smile. "Thanks," she said, grabbing onto his arm and giggling when she felt him stiffen.

"Um, what are you doing," he asked her nervously. _Not that I mind_, he silently interjected.

Chuckling, she pressed her self against his arm a bit more. "Well since you gave me your coat, I thought I could at least do this to keep you warm," she said innocently.

The two walked in silence, waving to people that passed them on the sidewalk. At some point during the walk their hands found each other and their fingers intertwined. "So," said Kitsune, breaking the comfortable silence. "Where are ya takin' 'lil ol' me?"

Smiling, Keitaro pointed to a small park about ten feet away. "I thought it'd be a nice change. Besides, I want to talk to you about something I just thought of and I don't want any of the girls to hear me," he said.

Shooting him a quizzical look, Kitsune shrugged and walked with him to the plaza. They sat on a bench in front of a fountain, feeling a light mist touch them occasionally. "So," prompted the brown haired woman.

Taking a deep breath, Keitaro looked at Kitsune. "I talked to Shinobu this morning," he said seriously.

Sitting up straighter, she looked at him with her eyes fully open. "Well," demanded Kitsune.

"She's pretty upset but I think that she'll be okay. Something she said though struck me. She said, 'it would hurt her if she saw me spend my life with someone else," he said. Sighing, he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. "Normally when something like this happens, they guy and girl get married."

Kitsune's heart raced. _Is this what you wanted to say that couldn't be said in front of the others? Are you gonna ask me to marry you? Kei, as much as I love you, I'm not ready for that, even if I am pregnant. _"Keitaro," she whispered.

He held up his hand. "Please, Kitsune, let me finish. I know that you're probably thinking I brought you out here to propose," he said, unusually accurate with his assumption, "but I'm just not ready to take that step...er...kneel yet. I do care about you and I want to be their for the kid, but I'm not ready to rush into a marriage," he said.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Kitsune smiled. _So like you Keitaro. Ya say the right things without even realizing it._ "Well, I can't say that I wouldn't be happy as your wife, but I have to agree with you. Maybe in the future...who knows," she said. "What are we gonna tell your folks?"

Keitaro shrugged and tried to play it cool but the way his hands kept shaking betrayed his fear. _I. Am. So. Dead_, he thought, clearly enunciating each word. In all of the excitement he had forgotten about his parents. His mom would be the one to kill him while his dad handed her the weapons. "I-I-I don't really know," he stammered.

Feeling sorry for him, Kitsune squeezed his hand. _Good thing I don't have to deal with this kind of stress though_, she thought, allowing her selfish side to come out to play for a few seconds. "We'll figure something out Kei," she murmured.

"What about your parents," he asked. Judging how she tensed up, he had hit a sensitive spot. _Is she scared to tell them or is it something else_, he pondered.

Sighing sadly, Kitsune shook her head. "We don't have to worry about that. My mom's dead, died when I was three. My pop's...let's just say we ain't on speakin' terms right now," she said darkly, but with a hint of fear.

"D-Do you want to talk about it," asked Keitaro. _I did say I wanted to know more about her and this is the perfect chance_.

Shaking her head, Kitsune looked at Keitaro and smiled. "You really are a great guy, you know that," she asked. Sighing, she looked at the clouds rolling overhead. "I don't want to reopen any old wounds right now. I'll tell about it later though, I promise."

After that, the two sat in silence, taking comfort in the others prescreens. Later, when the sun was high in the sky and their stomachs rumbling, the two walked back to the dorms. "I wonder what's for lunch. M' starved," groused Kitsune.

"I don't know. I think Shinobu said something about sashimi and tempura," replied Keitaro absentmindedly, his mind on the conversation that had played out between him and the brunette. He frowned though as the smell of cigarette smoke wafted under his nose. Looking over, he saw Kitsune taking a pull on the smoke. "Stop that," he said, snatching the cancer stick from her mouth and stomping on it. "It's not good for the baby."

"Guess that means no more sake either," she grumbled walking through the front door. Once they were at the table Keitaro and Kitsune were greeted once again with silence and glares from Naru and Motoko.

_I really do wish that those two would grow up_, Kitsune groaned before filling her plate with generous helpings of the spread before her. Her gaze shifted to Keitaro who was concentrating on getting as much food as he possibly could before the bottomless pit, a.k.a. Su, devoured everything. _You may be able to fool everyone else Kei, but I can see right through it_, she mused, noting the pensive look in his eye he was trying his hardest to conceal.

The setting sun cast shadows over the Hinata-sou. The crickets chirped and the street lights flickered on, one by one. A sharp knock on his door roused Keitaro from the brief nap he was able to catch. Grumbling and yawning, he walked over to the door ad slid it open. He stifled a yawn and saw Kitsune standing outside. "What do you need," he asked blearily.

Shuffling her feet slightly, she looked down. "I'm not tryin' to make this a habit, but it felt really good sleepin' in here last night," she started but was cut off when Keitaro pulled her into the room.

"You can stay, just don't be up much longer. I'm pretty tired. My brain just feels exhausted so I'm going back to bed," he said before letting out a huge yawn. Crawling between the covers he promptly fell asleep.

_Long day I guess_, Kitsune thought, wondering at Keitaro's short temperedness. Fifteen minutes later she crawled under the covers and curled up against his chest."G'night Kei, love you," she whispered.

"Love you too," he mumbled in his sleep. Even though he wasn't coherent when he said it, Keitaro's words sent a pleasant rush through her heart. She grazed her lips against his jaw line before wrapping her arms against his waist and falling victim to the call of sleep.

Authors Note: That's it for chapter two. I hope that you liked it. Please leave me a comment. They really do help me when I write. Now, I plan to have chapter three up here in…about three weeks. I really do look forward to reading your reviews and writing the next chappie!!!!!!!!^^ By the way, I'm holding a fan art contest. I would like all entries to be based off scenes from this story or pictures of Keitaro and Kitsune in general. The contest will run up until the end story. The winner will have this story dedicated to them and an honorable mention in the final chapter. Entries can be submitted to me via e-mail. I will post all entries on my MySpace page under a special photo album. To go and see the pictures and vote for your favorite one, there is a link on my profile that will take you directly to my MySpace page. Hoping to see some entries and hoping that you enjoy the next chapter, this is Chaos Poet signing off.


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